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OpenAI has temporarily halted the generation of images depicting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in its video generation model Sora, following a request from The Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr., Inc.
According to a joint statement from OpenAI and King Estate, Inc., the move comes after some users created “disrespectful depictions” of Dr. King using Sora. OpenAI said it is strengthening guardrails for the portrayal of historical figures and affirmed that families or authorized estates will have the right to request restrictions on how their likenesses are used.
The move comes just weeks after the launch of Sora, OpenAI’s social video platform that lets users create realistic AI-generated videos of historical figures, celebrities, and even themselves. Sora’s launch has also raised concerns about copyright. Earlier in October, OpenAI said it would give copyright holders more granular control over how their works are represented in Sora. The company announced this week that it will allow adult users to have “erotic” chats with ChatGPT in the coming months.
Earlier this week, The Washington Post reported that some Sora users had created disturbing videos showing Dr. King making monkey noises and wrestling with another civil rights icon, Malcolm X. On the Sora app, users can also find crude or satirical videos depicting other public figures.
The company thanked Dr. Bernice A. King, who represented the King Estate, and John Hope Bryant alongside the AI Ethics Council for facilitating discussions around ethical use of public figures in AI-generated media.
